Apparatus for treating and preserving growing plants.



Patented Jan. 9, I900. A. SATTLEB. APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND PRESERVINGGROWING PLANTS.

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Nirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS SATTLER, OF MICANOPY, FLORIDA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND PRESERVING GROWING PLANTS.

SPECIFIQA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,957,datedd'anuary 9, 1900. Application filed March 27, 1899. Serial No.710,669. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUeUsTUs SATTLER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city of Micanopy, State of Florida, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for theTreatment and Preservation of Growing Plants, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to the treatment and preservation of growingplants, and has es- I 5 of the crop being lost.

7 The invention has for its object to provide an apparatus whereby a bedof growing plants may be quickly and readily covered and protected incase of sudden fall of temperature,

: and also whereby the temperature may be regulated and the plants andground artificially irrigated, the apparatus for giving the artificialheat being so constructed and arranged as to be readily and quicklyconverted 2 5 into use for irrigation or heating, as the occasion maydemand.

The invention consists of an apparatus by means of which the bed ofplants may be quicklyand readily covered or uncovered and by means ofwhich also the apparatus may be readily and quickly convertible into anirrigating or a heating device, as the occasion demands.

The accompanying drawing illustrates in 3 5 perspective an apparatusconstructed in accordance with this invention.

In carrying out this invention a suitable portable inclosure or coveringis provided, which preferably consists of a light knockdown framecomposed of planks when set on edge, forming the ends and sides of theinclosure surrounding the bed of plants. Forming a covering for thisinclosure is a canvas 2, which is drawn over the ridge-pole 3, mountedon uprights 4, secured to and projecting from the ends of the inclosure.This canvas 2 is detachable and may be secured in any suitable manner tothe sides and ends of the inclosure. The boards composing the sides and5c ends of the inclosure may be detachably secured together in anysuitable manner, so as to be readily taken down.

For the purpose of regulating the temperature in the inclosure, justdescribed and also to alternately therewith irrigate the bed of plants Iprovide an apparatus as follows: 5 is a main pipe which extendslengthwise over the bed of plants, preferably the top of the sides andends of the inclosure, as shown, and is provided with branch pipes 6,extending laterally from said pipe 5 crosswise of the bed of plants. Thepipes 6 are provided with a number of cocks 7, depending above the bedof plants. To provide heat for regulat ing the temperature of the bed ofplants in the inclosure, the pipe 5 is connected by means of a branchpipe 8 with the boiler 9, from which hot water or steam may be conveyedto the branch pipes 6, the connection of the boiler 9 with the main pipebeing controlled by a stop-cock 10. Connected with the main pipe 5 is awater-tank 11,elevated on a suitable support 12, connected by means of abranch pipe 13 with the pipe 5, the supply of water from the reservoir11 being controlled by means of a stop-cook 14. Also connected with themain pipe 5 is a pump 15, which is connected by a pipe 16 with anysuitable water-supply controlled by means of a stop-cock 17. Theconnection of the pump 15 with the main pipe 5 is controlled by means ofa stopcock 18. The method of using the apparatus is as follows: When itis desired to regulatethe temperature, the bed of plants is covered withan inclosure, as described, and the pump 15 is cut off by means of thecook 18 from the cock 5 and the reservoir 11 by means of the cook 14from the pipe 5. The steam or hot water from boiler 9 is then conveyedto the pipe 5 by opening the cook 10. A suitable return (not shown) isso arranged in com nection with the boiler 9 as to force propercirculation of the hot water or steam in the pipes. When it is desiredto irrigate the bed of plants, the supply from the boiler 9 to the pipe5 is cut oif by closing the cocklO. Then water may be conveyed to thepipe 5 from the reservoir 11 by opening the cook 14, and by opening thecock 7 of the branch pipe 6 the bed of plants may be irrigated, or thereser-- voir 11 may be out off from the pipe 5 by olos ing the cook 14and the cooks 17 and 18 opened and water pumped into the pipe 5 and thebed of plants irrigated, as before.

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When it is desired to expose the bed of plants, the knockdown inclosuremay readily and quickly be taken apart.

By means of the foregoing-described apparatus the bed of plants may bereadily protected with the knockdown inclosure, and by means of oneapparatus the temperature may be regulated or the bed of plantsirrigated, as desired.

I claim as follows:

An apparatus for the treatment and propagation of plants consisting of aknockdown inelosure covering a bed of plants, a main pipe extendinglengthwise of the inclosure above said bed of plants, and branch pipesconnected with and extending transversely through said main pipe fromside to side of the inclosure, and having a series of dependingwater-cocks, a boiler connected with said main pipe, a valve forcontrolling connection of said boiler with the main pipe, a pumpconnected with said pipe and a valve for controlling the conneotion ofsaid pump with the main pipe, and a source of water-supply connectedwith said pump and with said main pipe, a valve for controlling theconnection of said water-supply and pump with the main pipe, whereby thesystem and arrangement of pipes, pump, boiler, and water-supply, may beutilized to either regulate the temperature or to irrigate the bed ofplants, as set forth.

Signed byme atMicanopy, State'of Florida,

this 21st day of March, 1899.

AUGUSTUS SATTLER.

Witnesses:

S. H. BENJAMIN, J. HEYMAN.

